I guess this is a Black Oil Sunflower because that's all I feed 'em. *I don't think it's a Nyjer thistle. *Anywaysssssss... I shot this with the new 18-180mm. *First shot is in ambient light from the window. *Second one is using two strobes - one from the upper right diffused with an umbrella and using an orange gel, the other a backlight strobe with a green gel. These things wilt FAST. You can see the difference in the leaves from the first to the second shot. It didn't take me more than a couple of minutes to set up the strobes.

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Gary ---- "The best camera is the one you have with you."<><~~~~~~~~~~~Pentax K-70 ~ Panasonic FZ1000 ~ Panasonic ZS40

It's funny but I also had the birds "plant" a sunflower in my back yard. I first thought it was a weed coming up, but it looked so different that I did not pull it. It grew very rapidly. The bloom has a bigger center then yours, so it must be a different species of sunflower.

Hi Gary,
Both well done.And, yes, I too am surprised at how fast this particular flower began to wilt.

I try and take most of my flower shots with them on the stem in the ground.
But, then mine don't come out looking nearly as good as the ones you post.

Zig

Thanks, Zig. I stuck it in a vase right after these two shots and it perked right up.

The reason I shoot cut flowers indoors is it seems every time I get it framed the way I like and the exposure set, a breeze "miraculously" messes me up. It can be a calm as can be then, just before I squeeze off a round WHOOOOOOSH!! So, yeah... I'll shoot outside but, I really don't expect REAL good images.

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Gary ---- "The best camera is the one you have with you."<><~~~~~~~~~~~Pentax K-70 ~ Panasonic FZ1000 ~ Panasonic ZS40